Ong-Bak: Muay Thai Warrior

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Ong-Bak: Muay Thai Warrior
The Thai movie poster.
Directed by	Prachya Pinkaew
Produced by	Somsak Techaratanaprasert Prachya Pinkaew
Written by	Prachya Pinkaew Panna Ritikrai Suphachai Sittiaumponpan
Starring	Tony Jaa Petchtai Wongkamlao Pumwaree Yodkamol
Cinematography	Nattawut Kittikhun
Editing by	Thanat Sunsin, Thanapat Taweesuk
Distributed by	Sahamongkol Film International
Release date(s)	January 21, 2003
Running time	105 min.
Country	Thailand
Language	Thai, English
Followed by	Ong Bak 2 (2007)
Allmovie profile
IMDb profile

Ong-Bak: Muay Thai Warrior (Thai: องค์บาก; IPA: [ɔːŋbaːk]), also known in the United States as Ong-Bak: The Thai Warrior is a 2003 Thai action film. It was directed by Prachya Pinkaew, featured stunt choreography by Panna Rittikrai and starred Tony Jaa. Ong-Bak proved to be Jaa's breakout film, with the actor hailed internationally as the next major martial-arts star. Jaa went on to star in Tom-Yum-Goong (called The Protector in the US and Warrior King in the UK) and is directing a sequel to Ong-Bak, Ong-Bak 2.

Ong-Bak is an unabashed "Hey, look at what I can do!" action movie^[1]^[2]starring the main character's martial abilities.^[3] Its onrush of chase scenes, hand-to-hand combat and acrobatics, ^[4] sometimes shown multiple times from different angles,^[3]drew notice for its quality, inventive moves ^[4]and lack of CGI and wire-fu.^[5]

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Plot

The scene opens in Ban Nong Pradu, a peaceful rural village in northeastern Thailand. A group of villagers, covered in white mud, are standing by an immense Bodhi tree, looking up to the top where a flag flaps in the gentle breeze. With a great yell, they all run toward the tree and begin to climb, knocking others away. Men fall to the ground with a thud, bouncing off branches as they go. One climber comes out on top. It is Ting, the village's best athlete and fighter. He grabs the flag, ties it around his neck and descends, deftly avoiding the other climbers.

Ting is established as a reverent, respectful young man, and is anointed as such by the village's monk, in a ceremony at the community's humble little temple that night. Though extremely skilled in muay Thai, as he demonstrates for his "Uncle Mao" (indeed, it is literally "Uncle Drunk" in Thai), he has made a vow that he will not use it to harm another person for any personal monetary gain.

It is a poor village. All it has is an ancient Buddha image, named Ong-Bak. During the night, Ting's drunken Uncle Mao stumbles into the temple to discover something bad going on. He awakes the next morning to find the Buddha statue's head missing. The villagers all despair of the bad luck that will befall them if the Buddha's head is not returned. Ting speaks up and says he will recover it at all costs.

The villagers all chip in, giving up treasured baht and hoarded trinkets to pay for Ting's way to Bangkok, where he is to meet his ne'er-do-well cousin Humlae and get help in tracking down the men who stole Ong-Bak's head.

In the city, we find that Humlae has dyed his hair blond and renamed himself George, since his village name, "Humlae", also means "Dirty Balls". He and his friend, Muay Lek, are street-bike racing hustlers who have fallen in with a bad crowd of yaba dealers.

Humlae is at first reluctant to help Ting, but when he sees the small fortune in coins that Ting has collected from his village, Humlae takes an immediate interest. And, when Ting is in the bathroom, Humlae grabs the sack and heads for a bar on Khaosan Road where an illegal boxing match is going on. Ting tracks Humlae down, but instead of getting his money back, he ends up fighting and being named the new champion after one high knee smash waylays the old champ.

Ting (Tony Jaa) is ready for another showdown.

This makes Ting an enemy of Komtuan, a gray-haired, wheelchair-bound crimelord who needs an electrolarynx to speak. He's been watching the fight from his private room, and losing money because Ting keeps beating his fighters.

Meanwhile, back in Ting's village, there is bad luck indeed. The ground is dusty and full of cracks and all that's left in the village well is muddy water. They need the Buddha's head back for the drought to end and good luck to return to the village.

George keeps working shady deals, with he and Muay Lek working a scam at a baccarat game in an illegal casino. Eventually, the scams catch up with him, and the drug dealer shows up to give George a beating. Ting ignores George's cries for help, but when the drug dealer starts smacking Muay Lek around, Ting takes care of things. But then the drug dealer's friends and the cheated casino boss show up and a footchase through the alleys ensues, with Ting showing off his acrobatic skill as he walks over crowds, jumps through a barbed-wire hoop, leaps over a rack of sharp tools, cartwheels through a narrow space between two panes of glass, doing a gymnastics move over a wok of hot oil, and jumping up and down scaffoldings. Meanwhile, George is being chased by several gangsters as well. After encountering a hot chili powder stand, he takes a handful of it, and sticks right into the gangsters' eyes. He then runs into a dead end where Ting helps him escape in exchange for George's assistance in helping Ting find Don.

That night, there is another fight at the bar. Ting is egged on by Big Bear, a vulgar Australian fighter. At first, Big Bear attempts to provoke a fight with Ting by insulting Thai people. But after Big Bear beats another Thai man and assaults a waitress, Ting takes up the fight and easily beats the hulking man. He then must fight Toshiro, a very fast and flexible Japanese fighter. His final opponent Mad Dog, another farang, who favors the use of such objects as chairs, tables, electrical wires and even a refrigerator to punch and smash his opponents with. The fight takes them up to Komtuan's private booth. Komtuan hands Mad Dog a knife, but Ting simply kicks Mad Dog out of the viewing booth's glass right back onto the battle area. An African man steps into the ring to throw a coin at Ting's feet and at the same time, he gives Ting a thumbs up. This starts loud cheering from everyone who's just seen the fight go on. And everyone from everywhere throws coins at Ting, much to the delight of George and Muay Lek.

Muay Lek, meanwhile, has been struggling to keep her older sister Ngek from using drugs. Ngek has fallen in with a small time crook named Don. On the bed, Ngek, following her sister's advice, says she wants to quit drugs, Don, in his anger violently suffocates her and stuffs her mouth with drugs. Muay Lek shows up at Don's apartment with George and Ting to find her struggling sister overdosed and near death. George and Ting take off and chase the boyfriend in tuk-tuks, with several of Don's men joining in. The tuk-tuks take to an elevated expressway, and the scene climaxes with many tuk-tuks driving off the edge of an unfinished portion of the highway.

Ting follows the bad guys and ends up at the port and in the Chao Phraya River, where he discovers a cache of stolen Buddha images. This leads back to the gangster Komtuan, who makes Ting fight one of his bodyguards who has been treating himself with drugs, making him full of rage and impervious to pain. The following day, George, Ting and Muay Lek are kidnapped by Komtuan's henchmen. After Komtuan leaves and orders the henchmen to kill the 3, Ting attacks the man with the assistance of George. As one of the gangsters mounts his motorcycle, we see Ting come out of nowhere with fire on his legs, his knees colliding with the gangster's helmet.

Ting and George follows the gangster into a cave in a mountain, where the head of a giant Buddha image is being chiseled away. There is a final showdown, with Ting fighting off all of Komtuan's henchmen with George, who tries his hardest to fight them, but is still beaten badly. Komtuan's bodyguard injects himself with several shots of drugs at one time and attacks Ting. The bodyguard is defeated and seemingly killed by Ting. Komtuan then shots Ting and attempts to crush Ong-Bak's head with a sledgehammer. George covers Ong-Bak's head with his body, and fatally injured as a result of injuries of repeated beating by the sledgehammer. At that moment, the giant Buddha head falls over, crushing Komtuan to dead while George barely rolls away from its path. Ting and Muay was there to hear George's last wish, for Muay Lek to graduate school and for Ting to look after her.

The head of the Ong-Bak Buddha statue is restored in the temple of Ting's village. Ting, now ordained as a monk with shaven head and white robes, arrives into the village in a procession on an elephant's back while the villagers and Muay Lek celebrate his ordination.

Cast

Production

Background

Featuring amazing chase sequences and bouts of intense, but gracefully choreographed violence, as well as Tony Jaa's own acrobatic agility and fighting prowess, Ong-Bak became most notable for eschewing CGI and wires in favour of physical stunts for its outrageous action sequences (however, a crane was used to lift a tuk-tuk during one sequence). Indeed, much of the film's international advertising boasted of the fact, with a tagline stating: "No stunt doubles, no computer images, no strings attached."

The film introduced international audiences to a traditional form of muay Thai (or Muay Boran, an ancient muay Thai style), a kickboxing style that is known for violent strikes with fist, feet, shins, elbows and knees. The fights were choreographed by Panna Rittikrai, who is also Tony Jaa's mentor and a veteran director of B-movie action films that all feature realistic stunt work.

Jaa was trained in Muay Thai since childhood, he wanted to bring Muay Thai to mainstream so he decided to make this movie. Jaa and Panna struggled to raise money to produce a demo reel to drum up interest for the making the film. Their first reel was made on expired film stock, so they had to raise more money and start over.

Stunts

During the foot chase through the alleys, there is writing on a shop house door that reads "Hi Spielberg, let do it together." This refers to Tony Jaa's desire to someday work with Steven Spielberg.^[6]
During the tuk-tuk chase, when a tuk-tuk falls off the elevated highway and hits a building, the following message is written on a pillar on the left side of the screen: "Hi, Luc Besson, we are waiting for you." The French producer-director's company, EuropaCorp, would go on to purchase the international selling rights to Ong-Bak outside Asia.
One of Tony Jaa's favorite scenes is at the gas station. With his trousers on fire, Ting kicked one of the villains in the face. The flames spread upwards very fast and burned Tony's eyebrows, eyelashes and nose. He then had to do a couple of more takes to make sure it was right.

Alternate versions

Ong-Bak became a hit across Asia, as well as Europe and North America.

After Ong-Bak became a hit in Thailand, sales rights for outside Asia were purchased by Luc Besson's EuropaCorp, which in turn re-edited the film.

Most of the subplot involving Muay Lek's sister, Ngek, was removed.

The French company also rescored the soundtrack with some hip-hop sounds, replacing the Thai rock score, and it's this version that has been made available in the United States.

For the United Kingdom release, the soundtrack was scored yet again, this time with an orchestral score.

The Hong Kong cut of the film's theatrical release omits a "bone breaking" sequence toward the end, where George's arm is snapped and Ting in turn snaps the leg of a bad guy. DVD releases in Hong Kong have the scene restored.

An "alternate ending" offered on the Thai DVD release has George surviving. He is seen at the end bandaged up, limping, with his leg broken, supported by his parents.

Alternate titles

In Thailand and in France, it was simply called Ong-Bak. This name was also preserved in Premier Asia's UK release.
For the release in Singapore, Australia and other territories, as well as film festivals, the movie was released as Ong-Bak: Muay Thai Warrior.
In the United States, Canada and other areas, the movie was released as Ong-Bak: The Thai Warrior.
The Hong Kong English title was Thai Fist.
In Japan, the film was released as Mahha! (the Japanese word for "Mach").
In Italy the title was Ong-Bak: Nato per Combattere, which translates as Ong-Bak: Born to Fight.
In Mexico the title was Ong-Bak: El Nuevo Dragón, which translates as Ong-Bak: The New Dragon. in reference to Bruce Lee.
The peoples release featured the title "Enter the New Dragon" also in reference to Bruce Lee.

Subtitle issues, DVD releases

English subtitles were absent from early DVD releases of Ong-Bak. The Thai release omitted the subtitles, as did the versions released in Hong Kong, Japan and South Korea.

For a time, the only legal home-video version of Ong-Bak with English subtitles was a Hong Kong VCD, but the translations were generally pretty poor.

With the UK and US DVD releases, Ong Bak became officially available with English subtitles, but those are versions that have been re-edited. There's an Australian-issued DVD that's a two-disc package featuring both the original Thai cut and Luc Besson's version.

Box office

Ong-Bak premiered as the closing film of the 2003 Bangkok International Film Festival, and then opened in a wide release in Thailand cinemas in February 2003. On February 11, 2005, the film was released in North America in 387 theatres under the title Ong-Bak: The Thai Warrior. In its opening weekend, it grossed US$1,334,869 ($3,449 per screen), on its way to a total of US $4,563,167.

Sequel

After Ong-Bak became a huge worldwide hit, Jaa's name was attached to many projects. He went on to act in a small role in the Petchtai Wongkamlao vehicle, The Bodyguard (co-directed by Panna Rittikrai), and then starred in the much-anticipated Tom-Yum-Goong in 2005. In March 2006, it was announced that filming for Ong Bak 2 would start that fall and be released sometime in 2008, with Jaa as director.

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More Key Principles

Continued Concepts of Jeet Kune Do Combat
by Sifu Lamar M. Davis II

In this issue of Real Combat Online, I will conclude my discussion of some of the most important principles of combat from Jun Fan/Jeet Kune Do. I will start this off by explaining what we refer to as the theory of facing. When engaged in combat with an opponent, you assume the bai jong by lining up your centerline with their central line, also sometimes referred to as the motherline. The term central line is used to describe where their center of mass is located, as they might not face you with their centerline exposed. This method of facing the opponent enables you to place yourself in position to protect your centerline from any attack they might attempt. This also assists you with getting the proper foot alignment in relation to the opponent’s position. This is extremely important, as improper stance alignment can offset your balance and take away your torque capability, rendering your footwork and attacks useless!

Next I will discuss the four corner theory. This is another theory from wing chun. The four corner theory is basically a way of simplifying defense of the upper body. One you understand the four corners and the accompanying defensive movements, defense of the upper body becomes a much easier task! To define the four corners, we split the upper body into four sections. To do this, we use the centerline and a horizontal line going right through the solar plexus. The top of the head is the highest point and the groin is the lowest point. Now we go two inches outside either shoulder and this defines the outer range of movement for defensive maneuvers. Now we clearly have four corners! They are the upper right side of the chest, shoulder and face, the upper left side of the chest, shoulder and face, the right side abdomen and hip and the left side abdomen and hip.

The specific definition of each corner is based on the side that is closest to the opponent. If you are facing the opponent in a right lead, your right upper corner is referred to as the outside high corner. Your right lower corner would be the outside low corner. Your left upper corner would be the inside high corner. Your left lower corner would be the inside low corner. Thus, the four corners are outside high, outside low, inside high and inside low. The next step is to learn the specific defensive movements designed to protect each corner. As you can see by now, this greatly simplifies your defensive strategy!

Although attack is preferred in Jun Fan/Jeet Kune Do, sometimes defensive maneuvers become necessary. While other methods train to block an incoming attack, the Jun Fan/Jeet Kune Do practitioner prefers to intercept, evade or parry the attack. Let’s examine each of these defensive strategies.

The block is the least preferred method of defense, and is only used as a last resort! Why, you ask? Because blocking is the least efficient! When you block, you are using physical force of your own to stop physical force from the opponent. Not only is this a waste of your energy, but often also causes injury to a limb. Conserve your energy for the attack. Block only if it is the last resort to avoid being hit in a vital spot!

Interception is the preferred method of defense! You can intercept on intention (before their attack), on initiation (as they start their attack) or during execution (after the attack is on the way). Interception on intention is the ultimate, but usually requires years of training to develop almost a “sixth sense”! It is not an easy task to “read” when an opponent is about to attack! One of my instructors, Sifu Steve Golden, is a master of this!

There are several ways to intercept an opponent. With the upper body, the most common interception tools are the leading straight punch and the leading finger jab. With the lower body, the most common interception tools are the leading side kick, leading straight kick, rear leg oblique kick, inside angular stop kick and outside angular stop kick. What is a stop kick? Any kick used to stop an opponent’s aggression toward you is a stop kick. Some have erroneously believed that it is a kick used to stop a kick, but it is a kick used to stop any part of the opponent’s anatomy!

Evasion is simply avoiding an attack. Evasion is extremely economical, as no contact whatsoever occurs with the opponent. Evasive movements can involve footwork of just body movement. Examples of evasion using footwork are the sidestep and the rear pendulum. Evasive movements using just the body or combining footwork with body movement are the duck, the snapback, the slip and the bob and weave.

A parry is a redirection of incoming force. The parry is very efficient, as you can attack simultaneously with the parry, or the parry itself can become the attack. When the parry becomes the attack, it is referred to as a riposte. This is a term from fencing, which Bruce Lee drew heavily from when developing Jeet Kune Do. When one hand parries as the other attacks, it is referred to as lin sil die dar, which is Chinese for simultaneous defense and attack. In lin sil die dar, the parry can make contact just before, right as or just after you land the strike. This is another highly effective skill that requires much training to develop.

The principle of the immovable elbow comes from wing chun gung fu. This principle states that the lead elbow should be at least a fist’s distance (four to six inches) in front of the lead side ribs at all times. Never should you allow it to be resting against the body or out to the side of the body. Against the body it is in what we refer to as a pre-pinned position, making it easier for someone to trap your lead arm. If the elbow is out to the side the lead side ribs are left wide open and it is much harder to protect the centerline. It is also easier to deliver a non-telegraphic strike with the lead hand if the elbow is leading the body.

Another Jun Fan/Jeet Kune Do principle that makes maximum use of the immovable elbow principle is the hammer principle. Application of the hammer principle greatly increases your non-telegraphic striking capability. The hammer principle is actually quite simple, though not often simple to apply. Most people still telegraph when trying it, even though the idea is to eliminate all telegraphic signs that a strike is on the way. The two most common strikes that this principle is applied to are the leading finger jab and the leading straight punch, both highly effective strikes when properly executed. You just have to really work at it a lot to get it down. Once you’ve got it down, though, you’ve really got something!

In explaining how this principle works, I will start from the beginning. Have you ever noticed that when you use a hammer to drive a nail, all or most of your arm movement is from the elbow out? This is what keeps the hammer accurate, right? If you don’t believe this, try hammering with the whole arm and you will notice a sudden decrease in accuracy, especially if you hit your thumb! This motion from the elbow out only is where the term “hammer” principle comes from. When applying this principle, the arm movement is basically the same, from the elbow out.

If you are an experienced martial artist or boxer, usually when you are in your stance you keep your lead arm moving constantly. This will usually be small circling, rising/falling or weaving motions, right? I’m sure that you also realize that these small motions go a long way toward concealing the initiation of your punch. If the arm is already moving, there is no “start-up” movement for the opponent to see.

Now, this is where the “hammer principle” comes into play. When you are making these small motions, keep your lead elbow in the same spot. In other words, nothing is moving except for the forearm, wrist and hand. Think of the immovable elbow theory that was covered in the previous section. The lead elbow is approximately four to six inches in front of the lead side ribs. This is the position where the “hammering” type movement comes from.

Now to execute the strike, drop the lead arm to a level where the forearm is pointing straight at the opponent’s nose and let it fly. If done properly, this motion will completely conceal your intentions to strike. This is what is referred to as “dropping the hammer”. I witnessed Bob Bremer, who is one of the original L. A. Chinatown students, get in repeatedly on a much younger opponent with this maneuver! And that was after Bob had recently suffered a heart attack! Another thing that has to be considered here is that the opponent knew exactly what Bob was going to do, yet Bob repeatedly got in and touched his forehead with a bil jee before he could do anything about it! This proves the effectiveness of the hammer principle! Of course it also helps that Bob learned it directly from Bruce Lee!

I like to use this analogy. Think of yourself standing on the sidelines watching an archery match. When the archer releases the arrow, you can follow it all the way to the target. Now imagine that same scenario, except for this time you are the target. The arrow would go through your face before you even realized that it had been released! Directness is the key here!

I have also referred to this principle as “aiming the gun” to help my students better understand it. Imagine that the forearm is the barrel of the gun. The fist or finger jab is the bullet. Wherever you aim the gun, the bullet goes, right? If the gun is already aimed, it is ready to fire. I teach my students to “track” the opponent’s nose with their lead hand. This greatly simplifies interception! You are like the archer waiting for the proper time to release your arrow! Although it takes much work to get it down, mastery of the hammer principle is well worth the effort! Now you can see why it is such an important part of Jun Fan/Jeet Kune Do strategy!

Although many of these principles are unique to Jun Fan/Jeet Kune Do, they can be adapted to almost any martial art to improve the effectiveness of the practitioner! After reading about these principles it is easy to understand why Bruce Lee was such an effective martial artist. As Bruce Lee would say, “Learn the principle, abide by the principle, then dissolve the principle!” In other words, the principle becomes a part of you! Until next time, train hard and keep it real!

About Sifu Lamar M. Davis II:
Sifu Lamar M. Davis II has been involved in the martial arts for thirty-six years. He has trained with many First Generation students of the late Bruce Lee, and is certified as a Full Instructor by five of them. He is the Founder/Head Instructor of the Hardcore Jeet Kune Do approach to training in Bruce Lee’s fighting methods, and is the Executive Director of the Hardcore Jeet Kune Do Chinese Gung Fu Association. Sifu Davis currently offers instruction through videos, classes, seminars and training camps. For more information on Sifu Davis and his organization/training programs, please visit his website at www.HardcoreJKD.com

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Real World Knife Fighting

Training for the Ultimate Game of Tag
by Richard Ryan

A discussed in previous installments of Cutting Edge Combat the greatest advantages of the edged weapon are that it is a touch weapon meaning all it must do is make sufficient contact with you an it will do damage. It is also considered a multi-directional tool. Unlike the specific body mechanics required to deliver an effective punch or kick, the blade can come at you at any and all angles regardless of the need for such balance or mechanics. These two advantages stand out above all the rest because they allow almost anyone with only a modicum of skill to be potentially deadly with a blade. Add skill and training and you take that average person and make him into a lethal fighting machine in all but the most extreme encounters especially if your adversary is unarmed or in possession of a lesser weapon.

The Myth of Knife Fighting

But what happens when two people square up for a knife fight? Well, the reality is that this type of thing rarely happens in the real world. Rarely do two hostile combatants face each other toe-to-toe for a battle of the blades. First off, to face a blade at all is stupid. So many things can go wrong that could find yourself talking to God pretty quick. One misjudgment, one mistake and you are meat on a coroners slab. Although statistically more people live than die from gunshots and stab wounds I for one do not want to try my luck unless the only other option is death.

The straight up duel to the death with knives are more the creation of the movies and folklore than reality. In truth the edged weapon is more often used to overwhelm victims often with the use of stealth or surprise. In most fights outside of the “psycho attack” people fly into a rage and jump into the kill zone stabbing and slashing away until the victim drops. Or they get close - preferably with deception and shank you before you even know what happened.

So why are so many people teaching “knife fighting” now a days? Well for one, it can be profitable. So many people carry folders and yes, there are many people who will pay to learn how to fight with a knife. But unfortunately most of them don’t want to know the truth. What they want to know is things like “where do I carry the blade” and “what type of knife will allow me to do that super fast quick draw when I need to outdraw an attacker” or how can I “sword fight” with my six inch tactical folder?

They don’t want to learn the hard truths. They don’t want to learn that if you have to quickdraw the blade in your defense, you’re probably already dead or should have done something else like hit them or run. They don’t want to know the reality that knife on knife combat is the riskiest and most problematic form of combat that there is carrying, with it almost no margin for error. No, these truths are no fun and serve only to shatter the myth of the swashbuckling knife fighter that is so pervasive today.

So why practice knife on knife combat? That’s easy, we do so because the practical lessons you learn from such encounters are priceless. By learning how to survive against a blade using a blade you develop a quick appreciation for reality – as long as you play for real. Here is where most knife fighting instructors screw up by interjecting techniques and tactics that will only work if the opponent cooperates or is an idiot. Things like over reliance on traps, passing the blade, and general control maneuvers that seem really cool when you do them but crumble when opponent cooperation ceases. Remember my prime axiom “resistance is what separates reality from fantasy!” Therefore I will reiterate the lessons from the past issue of this column before going on:

1. Don't expect to use conventional blocks and parries against a knife attack.
2. You'll never catch a knife hand in motion, trap it or control it without first severely hurting the attacker first.
3. In defense of a knife you will be cut - the trick is not to die - so be psychologically prepared for it.
4. Try to evade contact entirely or if you must defend cover or shield your vitals and counter viciously.
5. If forced to fight, stay compact and move in with the most lethal attack you can and try to end the fight immediately.
6. Better yet - get a weapons yourself and even the odds!

Now with these rules in mind lets move on to some of the realities of blade on blade combat. First and foremost on the self-preservation list is what type of defense to deploy when the opponent has fangs also. Assuming that we are free to operate in an open environment and not confined to a specific situational response our choices are evasion (both in footwork and body), blocks and parries with the free hand and blocks and counter cutting with the weapon / weapon hand. Taken by themselves each one has assets and liabilities. Obviously evasion is the best from a defensive perspective. The best defense is always no to be there but it does not solve my basic problem i.e. the attacker can keep coming until he gets it right. Blocks and parries with the free or guard hand can work but only if the attacker uses predictable lines of attack and telegraphs his intentions at least a little. The less telegraphic, deceptive and unpredictable the attack the less this will work. Moreover, if you miss you could also be dead. Blocking or deflecting an edged weapon close the body offers no margin for error.

That leaves blocking or counter cutting with the weapon hand. In an ideal world the attacker forewarns you of his intentions and delivers an easily discernable attack to which you reach out and counter cut achieving both defensive and offensive objectives in one action. Unfortunately we don’t live in a perfect world. We live a place where Murphy’s Law reigns supreme. In this world you could just as easily miss and end up a pincushion.

Synergistic Defense

So what’s the answer? Well the truth is that you may need one or all of these defensive options to survive. In Dynamic Combat and Tactical Weapons Training we believe in stacking the deck in our favor as much as possible to avoid the bite of Murphy’s Law.

Here’s how it works. First we are assuming that we have room to operate. Working in a close quarter environment with blades requires a completely different set of sudden death survival tactics. So, for the sake of this article we can move. Evasive footwork and body evasion now become our primary form of defense. We will simply move as much as possible and avoid contact with the blade entirely. But like I said before, that doesn’t solve our problem. Therefore whenever possible we prefer not to just run but to “cut and run”. Ideally we will not only back up but also try to cut anything we can reach with the blade on the way out of the attack zone. Moving the body this way allows for a margin for error. If you miss the counter cut you should still be far enough away to avoid being clipped. And if not, well that is where the guard hand come in. In a last ditch effort to avoid any disabling cuts we will shield or block the incoming attack with the free hand as we move away effectively sacrificing it before we sacrifice our life.

Sounds great, huh? Well it ain’t. As a matter of fact nothing about a knife fight is “great.” Bottom line is that if you are ever in one of these for real you had better prey that you make all the right move with no mistakes and have more than a little luck on your side.

The good news is that the right knowledge and training can increase how lucky you can be. In Dynamic Combat we train people to fight with any and all weapons and especially those of the edged variety. But the way we do it is different then most. We start out with big knives – no not big as in Bowie big but big as in long blades. The advantage of a long blade is cutting surface. A large cutting surface allows you a large margin for error in the initial stages of training. We use large counter weighted one-handed swords for this but you could use an Escrima stick just the same. You don’t want it too bulky or heavy because that changes the dynamics of the technique also. You want to be able to use it in one hand.

Now this larger cutting (and blocking) surface will directly influence how you will utilize the blade. Larger cutting weapons tend to make people more aggressive and less defensive which is good at these initial stages. It allows you to stay in and practice perfecting your blocking and countering skills.

But before long we start to use smaller and smaller blades. Often we do this without letting the student know about the changes he needs to make on his defense. As we progress down in size to the length of an actual tactical folder they begin to miss those easy parries more and more until they miss at least half the time. This is a lesson unto itself. They soon begin to realize from actual experience how difficult it is to actually counter cut with a tactical folder.

Real World Training

Now the real training begins. Armed with this knowledge we can now begin to modify their defense integrating footwork and body evasion and de-emphasizing counter cutting as the primary defensive tool. Now they learn to move away from the blade, cut when they can and even use the guard to survive when they are too close. In the end it is the synergy of evasion, counter cutting and free hand defenses that will increase your chances to survive a blade on blade encounter. The great thing about doing such training is the ability to learn how to effectively control distance and avoid having an opponent be able to even touch you. This type of thing will transcend into all aspects of your combative training making you more elusive than you have ever been.

My thanks to Dynamic Combat Expert Instructors John Hutchison and Javier Avalos for help with the pictures.

Keep on cutting,

1. Weapon size, weight and shape determine tactics. The characteristics of each weapon determine its use. Size does matter not only in the effects of a cut but in the accuracy and overall control of the tool. Bigger and heavier weapons can cause more damage per stroke but also can leave you open to swift counter attack.

2. Blade length determines blocking and counter cutting potential. Trying to block or counter cut with a three-inch blade is just asking for trouble. Six inches is still a real problem. Nine to twelve or more is better and better. The smaller the blade the greater the skill required.

3. Develop synergistic defenses. To be effective you must combine body evasion, evasive footwork, counter cutting and last ditch guard defenses into a single defensive package.

About Richard Ryan:
Richard Ryan is the founder of the martial art of Dynamic Combat™ and the creator of TDT (Tactical Defense Training) and the Tactical Weapons Training Systems. A lifelong martial artist with over three decades of experience, Master Ryan is renowned for his extensive knowledge and scientific understanding of reality-based fighting arts as well as his mastery of hand-to-hand and weapons combat. Richard Ryan currently offers instruction through videos, classes, seminars and training camps. For more information on Mr. Ryan and his organization and training programs, please visit his website at www.DynamicCombat.com or contact Ryan Defense Systems, Inc at (800) 945-Get Real – or dial direct at (602) 482-7252.

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A Special RCO Tribute to Joe Lewis

by Richard Ryan

I met a legend the other day…

One of the four horsemen who towered head and shoulders above all others in the golden age of Sport Karate. Their names were Wallace, Norris, Stone and of course Lewis. There were other names that deserved accolades during the early years of martial arts in America, but these four men stood out as the best of the best in the sport. And among them there was no one more feared and respected than the legendary Joe Lewis. I was teaching at Walt Lysak Jr.’s 19th annual Reality Martial Arts Weekend in Ludlow, Massachusetts (see more below) when I had the pleasure to meet and spend time with Sensei Lewis who insisted on being called just “Joe.”

Honestly, I didn’t know what to expect when I met the man because his reputation precedes him. Words I’ve heard to describe him include arrogant, tough and cocky. But mostly I have heard that he has a no-nonsense attitude and always says it like it is. It seems that just as many people dislike Joe and like him. I suspect that is because I hear he has a habit of saying exactly what he believes and doesn’t sugarcoat his opinions like most people do. Reminds me of another great fighter of his era named Mohammad. Personally, I respect men who speak their minds regardless of the consequences. In a world filled with duplicity and deceit you always know where this kind of man stands because it’s right there in your face with it.

My first impression of him was that of his stature. I am bigger than he is but it didn’t seem that way standing next to him. Now you have to remember that he is sixty years old now. But for lifelong athletes like Joe, that is only a number. He is rock solid and fit with a body of a man twenty years his junior. But the most remarkable thing about Joe is his hands. They are huge for his size. My Grandfather had huge hands and hit like a mule too and mine are not small by any means, but Joe’s are like sledgehammers with knuckles that look like he had large marbles implanted under the skin where the knuckles should be. No wonder people always said Joe Lewis hit like a Mack Truck. Hand size, coupled speed and proper technique are a recipe for powerful punching. That is one of the reasons why heavyweights jabs feel like a lightweights knockout punches.

Walt and I picked Joe up at his hotel and took him over to Walt’s brother Charlie’s place for the evening. The four of us were just going to hang out and watch the UFC. Now I have to tell you that spending an evening with Joe Lewis was not what I expected. Within minutes of meeting Joe he had me laughing, hard. Beneath his gruff exterior lies a really keen sense of humor. I can’t remember when I laughed so much. He has a razor-sharp wit as fast as his sidekick. Joe didn’t care who I was. He didn’t care that he had just met me. Joe treated me like anyone else and was busting my stones within minutes of meeting me.

But I can see where people who don’t “get” Joe can be put off. Joe is not only funny but he is smart funny. He is always kidding but even if it doesn’t seem like it. Always trying to zing you with something. But the great thing about Joe is he loves it when you zing him back. He laughs even harder when you bust his stones.

Now I grew up with a friend of mine from New York and he was exactly the same way. He was smart and had a dry wit with an edge to it. We would constantly exchange insults with one another, but they were never meant to be malicious, it was all in good fun. Joe was the same way. He would say something that most people might take as an insult, or tell you a story that was just a little hard to believe. But if you looked close enough you could see Joe smile, just a little. If you weren’t paying attention though you would miss it and might actually think Joe was serious.

In talking about Joe, one of Walt’s Instructors Walt Chrzanowski (nicknamed Top Dog) said it best when he observed that that Joe “just loves to spar”. That’s true. To all those who have met Joe Lewis and didn’t’ “get him” understand this; Joe a fighter, born and bred and Joe loves to fight. Whether with words of fists he loves to spar. Get that fact and you “get” Joe.

A seminar with a legend

The following day Joe went to work. He put on a seminar that I have to say was one of the best martial arts seminars I have ever witnessed. For three hours Joe shared secrets and insights into the art of kickboxing that only someone who had been there and done that could share. Joe is a scientist and the greatest thing about his teaching is his ability to easily explain the science of fighting in a way that both the novice and the seasoned veteran can benefit. I’ve always said that the art of fighting is in the details and Joe proved it over and over again that morning.

Moreover, the man is still incredibly fast and powerful. He moves with cat-like precision and a kind of natural explosive power that many younger and stronger fighters can only dream of. I can only imagine what facing him must have been like when he was in his prime. If this is what Joe can do at sixty, at twenty-five he must have been frightening.

After seeing his seminar in person, reading his book and watching his videos I highly recommend that any serious martial artist buy all of Joe Lewis’s Books and DVD’s. They are packed full of insights and information that you cannot get anywhere else and that is saying something in an era where the martial arts are saturated with so many sources of information. If you ever have the chance to attend a Joe Lewis seminar in person – do it! I have been in the arts for 35 years and I thought I had seen and heard everything but even I picked up some stuff in his seminar. Joe is the real deal.

For more information on Joe Lewis and his systems go to:

www.JoeLewisFightingSystems.com

The Joe Lewis Interview

After the seminar and all the pictures Joe graciously posed for I sat down with Joe and conducting an interview for Real Combat Online. I had taken an hour earlier in the day to write down a series of questions so I would be prepared. Not! Forget the notes because when you get Joe talking seriously about martial arts you might as well just step back and hang on for the ride.

Once I got him in a one-on-one situation a different Joe Lewis immerged. A quieter and more reflective side of him came out as he revealed a level of insight and intellect that most people do not realize he possesses.

We talked about his childhood and I learned a few things about him that were fascinating including the fact that his parents did not believe there was any practical value in sports or athletics. As a boy, Joe had to figure out ways to workout without his parent’s approval. He would rig up various makeshift barbells for lifting weights and sneak out of the house to ride his bike at night for conditioning. Later, when he began to seriously weight train, he was surreptitiously introduced to the martial arts when a Karate class was being conducted outside the weight room he frequented. When asked what his initial impression of Karate was he responded with the fact that he didn’t like it and thought it was ridiculous. That’s right, one of the greatest Karate fighters of all time; a true legend in the sport thought martial arts was silly and useless when we first saw it!

This is just one of the many interesting insights and contradictions about Joe that I learned of in my hour-long interview. Look for it to be available to RCO readers in the near future. It is well worth the read.

In retrospect, I have to say that meeting Joe, watching him teach and spending some time verbally sparring with him was the highlight of my trip. If you ever have the good fortune to meet Joe Lewis just remember, keep your guard up because Joe never blinks.

Lysak’s 19^th Annual Reality Martial Arts Weekend

Walt and Charlie Lysak have held a martial arts camp every summer for the past nineteen years in Ludlow, Massachusetts. They are the sons’ of martial arts legend Walter Lysak Senior one of the worlds most respected pioneers of hardcore martial arts in America. Walt and his brother Charlie are the founders of SENTO (Scientific Encounter Neutralization and Tactical Options) one of the worlds very best reality-based martial arts systems. Their camp one of the longest running and most respected martial arts camps around. This year the camp curriculum featured the legendary Joe Lewis as the main event along with great seminars from the Lysak’s, and SENTO Trainers Mark Bushey, Walt Chrzanowski and Dave Sinopoli. Also featured were programs by Mike Cutone an Army Special Forces Green Beret and Simunitions™ based firearms training by John Carney as well as a Dynamic Combat™ seminar by yours truly.

The camp was quite exceptional with a curriculum that covered SENTO 7 M.A.T.™, reality street wrestling and submissions, counter grappling and instruction in escaping submission holds and takedowns, close quarter combat, edged weapons defense skills, modern Ninjutsu / Warrior Skills and outdoor survival training. The camp also featured Primal Strength Training with Charlie Lysak who is pound for pound one of the functionally strongest guys I know and a real innovator in the training and conditioning side of the arts.

Next year being the 20^th Annual training camp promises to be even better with a huge line-up of world-renowned martial artists. On the tentative roster include Joe Lewis, the Lysak brothers, Frank Shamrock (MMA Champion), Mark Schuey (Canemaster), Mike Lee Kanarek (Haganah), Dana Abbott (Goshindo), Kieth Hackney (MMA Champion) Professor Silverio Guerra (UMAHoF Founder), Adam Guerra (MMA Champion), Sgt. John Hutchison (Tactical Defense Training) and myself (Dynamic Combat). You don’t want to miss this one and for all you really serious students of reality martial arts you might want to sign up early with their early bird special and save a ton of money on registration. Reserve your space today for what promises to be one of the best camps of the year! For more information contact or to request training books and videos contact:

Lysak’s Self Defense Academy
44 Sewall Street – Suite #3
Ludlow, MA 01056
(413) 589-7869

www.realityconnection.com

Hardcore Jeet Kune Do DVD’s

Sifu Lamar Davis II announced that he is currently converting his collection of HJKD training videos to DVD! My friend Sifu Davis has some of the best JKD training tapes available anywhere with well over 25 videos under his belt! If you are looking for in-depth and practical martial arts training Sifu Davis is one of the best on the planet - bar none!

For those serious martial artists who want to add Hardcore Jeet Kune do to their repertoire and libraries he is even offering a one-time only special where you can get his entire collection for one low pre-publication price. The DVD‚s will be available to the general public about a month or so after the special starts and sold on his website and on the new RCO Store (see below). If you are interested getting any of his DVD’s or participating in the special offer you can email him at Sifu@HardcoreJKD.com for more information.

Worden interviewed in Black Belt Magazine

Congratulations to my great friend Datu Kelly Worden for a fantastic interview in Black Belt magazine! In the September 2004 issue the Datu discusses his lifelong pursuit of blending and integrating a multitude of martial arts concepts to form a system of cross training he calls Natural Spirit International. Of course this is not news to all of the readers of RCO magazine where Worden has been a featured columnist from the very first issue! I’d like to say you heard it here first but the truth is that anyone serious about reality-based martial arts has known of Kelly Worden and his great talent for decades! But we congratulate him anyway. Keep punchin’ Datu! For more information on Master Worden and his programs check out the pages of RCO and visit his website at:

www.KellyWorden.com

New Dynamic Combat DVD’s

We’ve just finished a new batch of Dynamic Combat DVD’s! They are going to be sold online on the RCO store (see below) and advertised in Black Belt magazine. The first available set includes a 4-DVD Vicious Street Grappling series, which will be followed in the next 30 days by Unarmed against the Blade – surviving an edged weapons attack and the long awaited Shield Defense System™ video! If you’ve just got to have them right now they are available at my website at: www.DynamicCombat.com. Check them out when you get a chance!

A Personal Thanks to Black Belt Magazine

This month I would like to thank Black Belt Magazine and their Executive Editor Robert Young in particular, for consistently featuring me as a columnist in their Full Contact column. It is an honor and a privilege to contribute to the magazine that started it all and has gone on to become the industry standard. Just wanted to say thanks!

RCO Update

RCO is ready to go again! We have been hard at work behind the scenes working the future of your favorite online reality-fighting magazine and the future looks bright! There are some new and exciting things getting ready to happen with RCO, foremost of which is the new RCO store. Dubbed Reality Gear, RCO magazine will begin so feature the best products available for reality-based martial arts training anywhere in the world. Our goal is to start slow and sift through all of our training and educational products and material allowing only the best and most realistic to be sold at Real Combat Online.

Look for the best books, videos and DVD’s as well as the highest quality training gear and equipment to be available soon through our online store. We want to become your most reliable source for all your reality combat needs.

More to come soon…

Keep punching,

About Richard Ryan:
Richard Ryan is the founder of the art of Dynamic Combat™ and the publisher of Real Combat Online Magazine. To contact him through the magazine see member services or he may be contacted directly at Ryan Defense Systems, Inc (602) 482-7252 or visit www.DynamicCombat.com.

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China trade links are key in Taiwan poll

By Paul Moss
BBC News, Taipei

Dr Ho Szu-yin has all the enthusiasm you expect of somebody who thinks he has the answer to a problem.

Supporters of opposition Kuomintang Party (KMT) at a presidential election rally

But what does China think of the KMT's common market idea?

The problem is Taiwan's faltering economy.

Although the island continues to show decent growth figures, it certainly has not kept up the kind of breakneck expansion it had in the 1990s, when Taiwanese laptop computers and other electronic gizmos dominated the world.

Since those heady days, inflation and unemployment have gone up, while real wages have gone down.

Enter Dr Ho and his solution.

He, and the KMT party he represents, want to negotiate a "common market" with mainland China, a free trade area, which he believes will help pull Taiwan out of its financial doldrums.

And the party has made this a key policy for the presidential election this coming Saturday.

"The integration of business, more trade from the other side - we'll increase our income," Dr Ho says, "and achieve higher economic growth."

Trojan horse?

Now, free trade deals have proved controversial in many countries. And there are echoes of old arguments here in Taiwan, where opponents fear that cheap Chinese imports will edge out their own products.

Some have also argued that a deal would allow Chinese people to come and work in Taiwan, their lower wages putting downward pressure on everyone else's.

But these economic arguments are nothing compared to the more dramatic fears unleashed by the common market proposal.

Ma Ying-jeou, the KMT's presidential candidate

The KMT ruled Taiwan as a one-party state until the 1990s

"Before, China tried to use military force to take over Taiwan," one opponent told me. "Now they have another strategy, they use the economy."

We were speaking at an election rally for the rival Democratic People's Party, where a mock Trojan horse was placed on stage, to show what they thought of letting too much Chinese business into Taiwan.

"I am very, very angry about this proposal," another DPP supporter shouted, and his loud voice and fierce expression suggested he meant it.

"China wants to use the common market policy to control Taiwan."

It certainly is China's long-term mission. Taiwan broke away from the mainland in 1949, when the Communists took over.

But the government in Beijing has never recognised Taiwan and has reserved the right to use force in order to take it back one day.

But in the meantime, business is business. There is already billions of dollars of trade and investment between Taiwan and China, and there are people on both sides who would like to increase that.

Older divisions

Down at the famous Raohe night market in the capital, Taipei, I found stallholders anxious to build better relations with their neighbour.

"Taiwan needs Chinese people," one told me, "because they're rich guys. They can help us to make money."

The disagreements on this issue have brought out a much older division here. Taiwan has always been to some extent split between the indigenous people, who have been on the island for many generations, and those who fled here in 1949 along with their descendents.

A supporter of Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party presidential candidate Frank Hsieh wears a campaign sticker on his forehead

The DPP is looking beleaguered ahead of Taiwan's presidential poll

Broadly speaking, but by no means universally, the indigenous Taiwanese tend to be more wary of Chinese influence and tend to be more keen on Taiwan going its own way.

Their view is articulated most closely by the DPP, but the party is not doing well.

It lost power in Taiwan's parliament in January. And now its presidential candidate, Frank Hsieh, is running second in the polls for Saturday's vote.

Lin Chong-pin once served as deputy defence minister under the current DPP president, but I found him in a despondent mood.

Whereas he once saw his job as guarding against Chinese missile attack, he insists the biggest threat now is more intimate relations with China - economic or otherwise.

"China wants to absorb Taiwan," he insists, "and this is their new strategy. We don't see fire, we don't see smoke, we don't see bullets. So people in Taiwan are not aware of the danger."

Paul Moss' report was broadcast on The World Tonight on BBC Radio 4 on Thursday 20 March, 2008.

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